6 detained for attempting fake voting in Sherpur election

Six youths were detained on allegations of attempting to cast fake votes at a polling centre during the by-election to the Sherpur-3 constituency seat of the 13th national parliament.

The incident occurred at the Longpara High School polling centre around 11:00am on Thursday.

The detained individuals were identified as Zahurul, Masud Rana, Khokon, Pipul, Ariful and Laiju Mia.

Presiding officer Abdur Rauf said the six men had come to cast fake votes. 'We became suspicious and questioned them, but they failed to give satisfactory answers. They were then kept in a room and later handed over to law enforcement officials,' he said.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Sultan Mahmud Milon of the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court said the detainees had been sent to the police station and further legal procedures were underway.

Three candidates are contesting in the by-election: Mahmudul Haque Rubel of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party with the paddy sheaf symbol, Masudur Rahman Masud of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami with the scale symbol, and Mohammad Mizanur Rahman of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) with the scissors symbol.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Md Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan said comprehensive security measures had been taken to ensure a peaceful election.

He added that 32 mobile teams and striking forces were working across the district, with five law enforcement personnel deployed at each polling centre and six at important centres.